1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a process for disposing of materials which are explosive active masses and/or contain them, a device for carrying out said process and also a waste disposal plant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Materials which are or contain explosive active masses such as, for example, pyrotechnically active masses, propellants, smoke compositions and irritants, subcaliber ammunition, in particular fixed ammunition and phosphorus-containing ammunition, have to be disposed of once they can no longer be put to use due to expiry of their storage life. This group of substances to be disposed of also comprises trinitrotoluene, hexogen, octogen, nitropenta, tetryl as single components or in the form of mixtures. A safe mechanical separation of the active masses is in this case not possible without danger due to the pyrotechnical or explosive potential and to the high compactness of the active mass or can only be technically carried out with disproportionate expenditure.
The materials to be disposed of according to the invention generally have an outer metal shell, an initiator and the active mass. This metal shell is, as a rule, inert during reaction, whereas the propellants for the thermal reaction react during intended use as well as during waste disposal. As propellants, in particular cellulose nitrate, nitroglycerin, dinitrotoluene, trinitrotoluene as well as various stabilizers are applicable. In particular in the case of incendiary and tracer projectiles, the ammunition also contains phosphorus in varying amounts.
If luminaries are used, they generally preferably consist of an aluminum shell, an igniter and the active mass with the active mass comprising a light metal powder as energy supplier, an oxidizing agent capable of splitting off oxygen, an organic binding agent for mechanically solidifying the mixture and optionally mineral and/or organic color enhancers. As a rule, magnesium is used as light metal powder since other possible metals are either toxicologically hazardous or too expensive. As oxidation agent, nitrates and in particular sodium nitrate are used as a rule with chlorates or perchlorates being employed in exceptional cases. Polymers are used as organic binding agents. As color enhancing agents, halogen-containing compounds, in particular fluorine-containing or chlorine-containing metal salts are contained. When this fluorescent ammunition is burnt off, predominantly metal oxides such as magnesium oxide, sodium oxide and aluminum oxide, nitrogen, nitric oxides and carbon oxides and possibly hydrogen halides are created.
The German patent specification DE 42 21343 of the same applicant describes a process and device for working up pyrotechnical material, in which the pyrotechnical material is burnt off in a controlled manner in a tubular reactor and the resulting slag is optionally again reacted and the resulting raw gas is supplied through a high temperature area in order to decompose any still existing organic substances.
Subsequently, the raw gas is purified by various gas purification processes such that it can be released into the atmosphere as exhaust air.
The device of the prior art uses a discontinuous feeding device by means of which the material to be disposed of is fed to the tubular reactor.
It is a disadvantage in the process of the prior art according to DE 42 21 343 that, on the one hand, the resulting slag has to be reacted again and, on the other hand, that the device is operated discontinuously since, in case of a continuous feeding, great difficulties would occur in letting the pyrotechnical materials be burnt off in a controlled manner.
A further disadvantage of both processes is that essentially only one kind of pyrotechnical material can be fed per charge.
In comparison, the German patent specification DE 44 44 809 achieves an improvement in that this prior art describes the use of two separate reactors, a so-called burn-off chamber and a separate reactor. According to the process of DE 44 44 809, a specific pyrotechnical material is caused to react in the burn-off chamber while simultaneously another pyrotechnical material is burnt-off in a controlled manner in the second reactor. The slag created in the second separate reactor is locked out and then optionally again reacted in the burn-off chamber so that here at least two different pyrotechnical materials can be simultaneously processed in one plant.
A first approach to conduct different pyrotechnical materials in continuous operation through a single plant can be found in the German patent specification DE 195 09 196. According to this process of the prior art, the material to be disposed of is filled into a container, which is then supplied to a first burn-out chamber in which the bodies are heated to ignition temperature and optionally left to smoulder off in one or several further burn-out chambers, with the bodies being directly heated with broad-flame burners at a temperature within the range of 300.degree. C. to 500.degree. C. The smoke gases are here continuously sucked off and supplied to a thermal subsequent treatment and then further purified in an environmentally acceptable manner via known purification processes.
The burn-out chambers are arranged in the form of tunnel segments. The containers receiving the material to be disposed of are, according to the prior art of DE 195 09 196, conducted through the individual burn-out chambers on rails by means of pneumatically operated slides. The charge and discharge of the containers occurs by means of corresponding locks via a roller conveyor.
However, the high mechanical expenditure of the total container transport mechanism and the energetically unfavorable direct heating of the containers within the burn-out chambers are disadvantages of this process.
Starting from this prior art, it is therefore the object underlying the present invention to provide a process and a device for waste disposal of materials, which are and/or contain explosive active masses, which can be operated continuously and which can simultaneously be charged with different materials of an essentially wider scope of application, and which at least largely avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.